Device for treating phtographic material

ABSTRACT

A tank for treating photographic material contains an elongated upright support member on which a plurality of axially spaced pairs of disks members are surroundingly carried. A retaining element also surrounds the support member for retaining the disk members against axial movement and cooperating engaging portions in form of recess and projections or the like are provided on the retaining element and at a plurality of axially spaced locations of the support member so that the retaining element can be connected with the support member at different locations.

United States Paten Berchtold et al.

[ 1 Apr. 10, 1973 DEVICE FOR TREATING PHTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL [75] Inventors: Helmut Berchtold, Derschlag; Friedrich Vollrath, Bergneustadt, both of Germany [73] Assignee: Firma Johannes Bockemuhl,

Derschlag, Germany [22] Filed: June 17, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 153,963

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data 2,344,998 3/1944 Morgan et a]. ..95/90.5

Primary ExaminerJohn M. Horan Assistant Examiner-Fred L. Braun Attorney-Michael S. Striker 5 7 ABSTRACT A tank for treating photographic material contains an elongated upright support member on which a plurality of axially spaced pairs of disks members are surroundingly carried. A retaining element also surrounds the support member for retaining the disk members against axial movement and cooperating engaging portions in form of recess and projections or the like are provided on the retaining element and at a plurality of axially spaced locations of the support member so that the retaining element can be connected with the support member at different locations.

9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR TREATING PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to devices for the treating of photographic material, and more particularly to devices for treating photographic strip material.

In the treating of photographic strip material, such as films and the like, it is already known to provide vessels in form of tanks or the like in which pairs of spiral disks are mounted which hold the strip material during processing, for instance during developing in a socalled multi-level tank. Depending upon the width of the strip of photographic material to be treated, the spiral disk pairs have different heights and in addition the number of such pairs mounted on a support in the tank or vessel should be selectable at the will of a user. In order to achieve this, and in order to make such a device readily and safely usable, it is desirable to make use of a retaining member on the central support carrying the spiral disk members which retains the latter so that they cannot become displaced, especially axially, during the handling of the tank which is frequently shaken, tilted or otherwise moved.

It is known from the prior art to use spring rings for this purpose which frictionally engage the surface of the central support and whose ability to prevent displacement of the disk members depends upon their elastic tension and upon the frictional conditions. Because the coefficient of friction varies it is necessary that only a small coefficient of friction will be assumed in laying out such constructions, in order to obtain an adequate safety factor. This means that in such cases in which the coefficient of friction is higher than the small one which is assumed, and this occurs quite frequently, it is difficult to secure the retaining member on the support. This, on the other hand, has led to selecting a low pretension for these retaining members with the result that the correspondingly low coefficient of friction obtained does not provide adequate engagement force and the retaining member is incapable of reliably retaining the disk members against axial displacement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.

More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide a device of the type under discussion which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages.

Still more particularly it is an object of the invention to provide such a device in which the disk members are reliably retained in position against axial displacement.

In pursuance of the above objects, and of others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the invention recites in a device for treating strips of photographic material, in he combination of an elongated upright support member and a plurality of axially spaced pairs of disk members surrounding and carried by this support member. A retaining element also surrounds the support member and retains the disk member against axial movement, and cooperating engaging portions are provided on the retaining element and at a plurality of axially spaced locations of the support member for permitting positioning of the retaining element on the support member at such locations.

Thus, it is no longer necessary to rely upon mere frictional engagement, but instead the engagement of the cooperating engaging portions assures that the retaining member will be reliably positioned and retained on the support member, so that the pretension of the retaining member itself can be kept low without disadvantage. The number and position of the engaging portions can be readily accommodated to the various possible combinations of spiral disk members so that 0 the construction is very versatile.

It will be appreciated that the invention can be executed in various different ways. According to a further embodiment it is particularly advantageous to have the engaging portions be self-locking in their interengagement, and in a particularly simple and easy utilization of the device according to the present invention is possible if, according to a further embodiment, the retaining member is in form of an annulus which is circumferentially incomplete, that is to say has a gap in its circumference, and is provided with two projections at its circumference diametrally or substantially diametrally opposite the gap which can be manipulated in order to widen or reduce the gap. According to an advantageous construction the cross-sectional configuration of such a member will be substantially H-shaped, and manipulation of the projections will result in an increasing of the width of the gap so that the annular portion can readily be placed about a cylindrically configurated support member.

However, the retaining member can also be in form of an elastically deformable ring member which carries approximately two axially parallel arms each having one portion extending in one axial direction and another portion in the other axial direction. The portions which extend in one common axial direction are provided with engaging portions and the other portions serve as the counterparts of the aforementioned projections which, when displaced towards one another, make the projections move apart from one another so that the member can be placed onto the support member. However, in this construction the axial dimension of the member is larger than in the preceding one.

It is particularly simple, especially with respect to the manipulation of the engaging portions which are to be engaged on the support member and on the retaining member, and also because they need not be precisely aligned with such a construction, in that the support member is cylindrically configurated and provided with angular grooves in its outer circumferential surface,

- whereas the retaining member is provided with inwardly directed abutments such as curved ribs or the like which can snap into these grooves. However, it is also possible to provide the support member with at least one or several longitudinally extending rows of abutment portions, such as teeth or the like which advantageously are recessed in the outer circumferential surface of the support member.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a partly sectioned side view of a device according to the present invention; 4

FIG. 2 is a top-plan view of a detail of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 2; and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an element embodying a further concept of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing firstly the embodimentof FIGS. 1-3, it will be seen that in FIG. 1 we have illustrated a developer tank for film strip material which is in form of an approximately cylindrical casing having a circumferential wall and a bottom 11. A cover 12 can be screw-threadedly connected with the upper open end of the casing. Centrally of the bottom wall 11 a centering projection 13 extends into the interior and is provided with several spacer ribs 14 which extend outwardly from it. However, angular ribs could also be provided for centering and light-retarding or shielding purposes in place of the pin or projection 13. The cover 12 is provided with a central nipple in known manner, in which a funnel-shaped portion terminates which can be closed with a cap 15 and serves for the fluid which is to be introduced in order to treat the film strips.

A here tubular support member 16 is provided into one end of which the nipple extends whereas the bottom flange 17 of the support member 16 surrounds the pin or projection 13. A plurality of pairs of spiral disks 18, 19 and 20 are arranged on and surrounding the support member 16 at axially spaced locations of the latter, and each of these pairs of disks is capable of retaining a non-illustrated strip of photographic material, such as films, roll films, photographic paper or the like. Because the details of the disk members of the pairs 18, 19 and 20 are not of importance for the present invention, these members have been illustrated only rather diagrammatically in FIG. 1.

It is necessary that the pairs of disk members 18, 19 and 20 cannot move (or at least not significantly move) in axial direction of the support member 16 during the use of the tank illustrated'in FIG. 1, that is during shaking, tilting or the like which is necessary in order to process the film material which is to be retained between the disk members of the respective pairs. To prevent such axial movements a retaining member is provided which embraces the support member 16 and engages the adjacent pair of disk members to prevent them from displacement.

In the illustrated embodiment the support member 16 is provided with a plurality of engaging portions in form of annular grooves 21 in its outer circumferential surface, these engaging portions being axially spaced at such locations where the provision of the retaining member may be necessary.

The retaining member itself is identified with reference numeral 22 and one embodiment is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. It will be seen that in end view or in cross-sectional view it is approximately I-I-shaped and has lateral projections 23 and a transverse portion 24. The end portions of the lateral projections 23 which are located above the transverse portion 24 are arcuately curved towards one another so as to define an annulus which is circumferentially incomplete, that is which has a gap in its circumference. The lower portions 26 of the projections 23 are approximately straight and constitute handles. The end portions 25 are each provided with an inwardly facing curved rib 27 extending in circumferential direction of the arcuate configuration and having a profile which mates with that of the annular grooves 21. The member 22 is of elastic material, preferably synthetic plastic material and pressing of the portions towards one another causes the portion 24 to be elastically deformed so that the area surrounded by the portions 25 becomes larger, that is the portions 25 move apart and the gap between them becomes widened. This makes it possible to put the member 22 easily around the support member 16 and to move it along until it is in the required position in which the ribs 27 engage in the respectively desired annular groove 21 after the portions 26 are released whereby the portions 25 will elastically return to their original position and the ribs 27 will enter into the groove 21. Reliable retention against axial displacement of the member 22, and consequently of the disk members of the pairs 18, 19 and 20, is achieved in this manner with even a small elastic pretension.

The embodiment in FIG. 4 differs from that in FIGS. 1-3 in that a ring portion 28 is elastically deformable and provided with two pairs of double armed levers 29 and 20 which in the illustrated embodiment are of one piece with the ring portion 28 and extend in approximately axial parallelism. The arms 31 of the levers 29 I and 30 are each provided with a rib 32 which can engage in one of the grooves 21, and which may be of wedge-shaped profile as shown, and the arms 33 are handles which replace the portions 26 and have the same purpose as the latter. This member, also, is advantageously made of deformable synthetic plastic material which is elastically yieldable.

It is emphasized that the illustrated embodiments are exemplary only and that the invention should not be considered limited thereto. Other possibilities exist and will offer themselves to those skilled in the art. For instance, it is not necessary for the retaining member to surround and almost entirely surround the support member 16. For instance it is conceivable that it is sufficient if the retaining member surrounds the support member through an arc of 200. The retaining member could also be non-symmetrical in its construction, for instance of sickle-shaped configuration so that it could be hooked with a free end of the curved portion (provided with a projection) into a recess such as a cutout in the support member, and the curved portion could be pressed against and onto the support member,

preferably through the use of a one-piece handle. The

annular grooves 21 could be replaced by one or more axially extending rows of engaging portions provided in the outer circumferential surface of the support member, preferably recessed in this surface.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a device for processing of photographic strip material, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. In a device for treating strips of photographic material, in combination, an elongated upright support member; a plurality of axially spaced pairs of disk members surrounding and carried by said support member and slidable in direction lengthwise of said support member; a discrete retaining element also surrounding said support member for retaining said disk members against axial movement; and cooperating engaging portions on said discrete retaining element and at a plurality of axially spaced locations of said support member, and said retaining element being positionable at a plurality of positions along the length of said support member in each of which a respective engagement portion on said support member engages with an engagement portion on said retaining element, and said retaining element being separable from said supportmember independently of said disk members.

2. In a device as defined in claim 1, wherein said engaging portions interengage in self-locking relationship.

3. In a device as defined in claim 1, said engaging portions comprising outer circumferential annular grooves on said support member, and inwardly directed abutments on said retaining element and adapted for mating engagement with respective ones of said grooves.

4. In a device as defined in claim 1; said support member comprising at least one longitudinally extending row of said engaging portions.

5. In a device as defined in claim 4, wherein said engaging portions are tooth-shaped.

6. In a device as defined in claim 4, said support member having an outer surface, and said engaging portions being recessed in said outer surface.

7. In a device for treating strips of photographic material in combination, an elongated upright cylindrical support member having an outer diameter; a plurality of axially spaced pairs of disks surrounding and carried by said support member and slidable in direction lengthwise of said support member; a circumferentially incomplete annular retaining element for retaining said disk members against axial movement, said retaining element being of elastically yieldable material having an inner diameter substantially equal to said outer diameter, and having a gap in its circumference, and further having a pair of projections adapted to be displaced toward each other in a sense increasing said gap so as to enable placing of said retaining element about said support member; and cooperating engaging portions on said retaining element and at a plurality of axially spaced locations of said support member, and said retaining element being positionable at a plurality of positions along the length of said support member 1n each of which an engagement portion on said support member engages with an engagement portion on said retaining member, and said retaining member being separable from said support member independently of said disk members.

8. In a device as defined in claim 7, said retaining element being of approximately H-shaped cross-section with said projections extending tangentially and in mutual parallelism from its periphery at a side remote from said gap.

9. In a device for treating strips of photographic material in combination an elongated upright cylindrical support member; a plurality of axially spaced pairs of disks surrounding and carried by said support member and slidable in direction lengthwise of said support member; a retaining element for retaining said disk members against axial movement, said retaining element having an elastically yieldable ring portion and a plurality of arm portions extending pairwise in opposite axial directions of said ring portion; and cooperating engaging portions on at least some of said arm portions and at a plurality of axially spaced locations on said support member, said retaining element being positionable at a plurality of positions along the length of said support member in each of which a respective engagement portion on said support member engages with an engagement portion on said retaining member, and said retaining member being separable from said support member independently of said disk members. 

1. In a device for treating strips of photographic material, in combination, an elongated upright support member; a plurality of axially spaced pairs of disk members surrounding and carried by said support member and slidable in direction lengthwise of said support member; a discrete retaining element also surrounding said support member for retaining said disk members against axial movement; and cooperating engaging portions on said discrete retaining element and at a plurality of axially spaced locations of said support member, and said retaining element being positionable at a plurality of positions along the length of said support member in each of which a respective engagement portion on said support member engages with an engagement portion on said retaining element, and said retaining element being separable from said support member independently oF said disk members.
 2. In a device as defined in claim 1, wherein said engaging portions interengage in self-locking relationship.
 3. In a device as defined in claim 1, said engaging portions comprising outer circumferential annular grooves on said support member, and inwardly directed abutments on said retaining element and adapted for mating engagement with respective ones of said grooves.
 4. In a device as defined in claim 1; said support member comprising at least one longitudinally extending row of said engaging portions.
 5. In a device as defined in claim 4, wherein said engaging portions are tooth-shaped.
 6. In a device as defined in claim 4, said support member having an outer surface, and said engaging portions being recessed in said outer surface.
 7. In a device for treating strips of photographic material in combination, an elongated upright cylindrical support member having an outer diameter; a plurality of axially spaced pairs of disks surrounding and carried by said support member and slidable in direction lengthwise of said support member; a circumferentially incomplete annular retaining element for retaining said disk members against axial movement, said retaining element being of elastically yieldable material having an inner diameter substantially equal to said outer diameter, and having a gap in its circumference, and further having a pair of projections adapted to be displaced toward each other in a sense increasing said gap so as to enable placing of said retaining element about said support member; and cooperating engaging portions on said retaining element and at a plurality of axially spaced locations of said support member, and said retaining element being positionable at a plurality of positions along the length of said support member in each of which an engagement portion on said support member engages with an engagement portion on said retaining member, and said retaining member being separable from said support member independently of said disk members.
 8. In a device as defined in claim 7, said retaining element being of approximately H-shaped cross-section with said projections extending tangentially and in mutual parallelism from its periphery at a side remote from said gap.
 9. In a device for treating strips of photographic material in combination an elongated upright cylindrical support member; a plurality of axially spaced pairs of disks surrounding and carried by said support member and slidable in direction lengthwise of said support member; a retaining element for retaining said disk members against axial movement, said retaining element having an elastically yieldable ring portion and a plurality of arm portions extending pairwise in opposite axial directions of said ring portion; and cooperating engaging portions on at least some of said arm portions and at a plurality of axially spaced locations on said support member, said retaining element being positionable at a plurality of positions along the length of said support member in each of which a respective engagement portion on said support member engages with an engagement portion on said retaining member, and said retaining member being separable from said support member independently of said disk members. 